Nicolaus Copernicus was a Polish astronomer born in 1473 who made groundbreaking discoveries about the structure of the solar system. He was educated at multiple universities, studying mathematics, astronomy, law, and medicine. Copernicus is most famous for his book "On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres", published just before his death in 1543, which put forth his heliocentric theory that the Sun, not the Earth, is at the center of the known universe. This was highly controversial at the time but helped inspire later scientists like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. Copernicus made these discoveries through careful observation rather than advanced instruments, revolutionizing human understanding of astronomy.

1. Nicolaus Copernicus
By: Adam Tabbaa

2. Timeline
1473
Feb.
19,Nicolaus
Copernicus,
the youngest
of four
siblings is
born.
1491
Enters the
University of
Krakow at 18
years old,
and studies
mathematics
and
astronomy.
1496
Studies church law and
astronomy at the
University of Bologna in
Italy. Becomes
assistant to Domenico
Maria da Novara an
astronomer.
1497
Appointed to the
staff of the
Cathedral Frauen in
Prussia, thus
making him
financially
independent.
Enrolls in
a medical
school in
Padua,
Italy
1501
1503
Receives doctoral
degree in church law
at the University of
Ferrara. Returns to
Poland and serves
as a physician to his
uncle, the Bishop of
Ermeland 1530
Publication of his
treatise, On the
Revolution Of the
Celestial Bodies, is
delayed because of
it being politically
and religiously
controversial.
1543
On the Revolution of
the Celestial Bodies
is published. Shortly
afterwards,
Copernicus dies in
Frauenburg at 70
years old.

3. Education
Nicolaus Copernicus was educated many times in his life in many different places. He was first educated
when he was ten from his dad. His dad soon later died causing his uncle, Lukasz Watzelrode, to take over
Nicolaus’s education. Later, the he entered the Cathedral School at Włocławek, up the Vistula River from
Toruń, which prepares pupils for entrance to the University of Kraków. After going to the Cathedral School at
Włocławek he went to the University of Krakow at the age of 18 to study mathematics and astronomy. During
Copernicus’s time in Krakow the educators realized how attentive and enthusiastic Nicolaus was toward the
lectures. They soon exposed him to the most advanced and developed discoveries of their time, algebra and
trigonometry being developed by Johannes Müller who was a German astronomer also known as
Regiomontanus. After three years in Krakow Nicolaus went to the University of Bologna in Italy to study
church law. Even while studying church law Copernicus could not subdue his passion for science. He met
Domenico Maria da Novara, an Italian astronomer found Copernicus and invited him to be his assistant. After
another three years in the University of Bologna, his Nicolaus’s uncle, Lukasz Watzelrode the bishop of
Heilsberg, assigned Nicolaus a job or position in the church. This job essentially made Copernicus financially
independent. Nicolaus requested to delay the job so he could go to medical school in Padua, Italy. His uncle
accepted and Nicolaus went there for 4 years.

4. What was he known for?
Nicolaus was a brilliant and famous mathematician and astronomer. Some of the things he is known
for are his book called On the Revolution Of the Celestial Bodies, which he dedicated to the pope of
this time, Pope Paul III. In this book he discovered how the solar system actually looks like. This
theory is called the heliocentric theory. It stated that the Sun was in the center of the universe (it was
actually the solar system).This theory was not believed by many people they believed an older theory.
This theory was called the ptolemaic system, named after a Greek astronomer born 87 A.D. His theory
stated that Earth was in the center of the universe (it was actually the solar system) and everything
revolved around rather than the Sun being in the center.

5. Nicolaus Copernicus’s Impact
Copernicus is a very important historical character because he was the first ever to reveal the rotation
of the stars accurately and the explained that the Earth rotated around the Sun and not the other way
around. The most impressive factor about all of his discoveries is that he uncovered all of this
information with a naked eye. He did not use a telescope or any other tool to aid his eyes. After
Nicolaus’s death in 1543 his popularity and discoveries did not just disappear, they inspired and
encouraged other people to become famous scientists and create or discover what they did when they
did. For example some scientists inspired by Copernicus’s impacts are Johannes Kepler. He
discovered the laws of planetary motion. Galileo is another one and he invented the first telescope,
sadly 50 years after Copernicus’s death. The final example of the scientists who were impacted by
Copernicus’s work is Isaac Newton. He discovered gravitation and its laws.

6. Comparison
Shakespeare- William Shakespeare went to a school for grammar,
while Nicolaus Copernicus went to multiple universities to learn astronomy,
science, and medicine and surgery. Shakespeare is famous for writing
playwrights and Copernicus made astronomical and scientific discoveries.
Thomas More- Thomas studied politics and literature and Nicolaus
studied mathematics, astronomy, and medicine/surgery. Born 5 years apart.
Both were very influential people of their time. Thomas had a friend who was a
philosopher and Nicolaus had a friend who was an astronomer.
King Henry the 8th- Born 18 years apart. They both studied
mathematics and astronomy. Henry married 6 times and Nicolaus never
married. Henry was a King and Nicolaus was an astronomer. Henry was home-
schooled his whole life.

7. Bibliography
"Copernicus, Nicolaus." FactCite: Lincoln Library of Shapers of Society Online. Lincoln Lib. P, 2011.
Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Novi, Nihil. "Nicolaus Copernicus." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 1 4 2014. Web. 3 Apr 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolaus_Copernicus>.
Rabin, Sheila, "Nicolaus Copernicus", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition),
Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2010/entries/copernicus/>.